Vacuum breaker



Feb. 6, 1940; E, WORK- VACUUM BREAKER Filed April 9, 1937 33 T36 zl 23 23 26. as 1 l3 q 97 43 4 4. I 5/2538 2 Y I 12 IZ 2| 35 1 2 3; 2| 32 '29 v n 42 ll' 1mm]? ErnmtMWor/n Patented Feb. 6, 1940 PATENT. OFFICE VACUUM BREAKER Ernest W.- Work, New Britain, Conn., assignor to The Beaton & Cadwell Manufacturing Company, New Britain, Conn., a corporation oi Connecticut Application April 9, 1937, Serial No. 135,936

Claims.

This invention relates to plumbing apparatus and more particularly to an improved vacuum breaker adapted to be inserted in the pipe leading from a flush valve to a water closet bowl.

This invention is particularly adapted for use with water supply systems wherein the feed line is utilized to furnish water not only for washing, drinking and cooking, but also for sanitary purposes. It has been found that when a sanitary fixture such as a water closet bowl or bathtub is connected to the riser pipe of a supply line, grave danger exists that the supply line may become contaminated by the return of liquid from said fixture into the supply whenever vacuum conditions occur in the supply line. This danger is present in almost all household and building water supply systems and arises usually when a large flow of water is being taken from other fixtures connected to the same supply line. The vaccum so produced is often sufllcient to draw contaminated material from these fixtures back into the supply system and thus cause the spread of diseases such as typhoid fever.

One object of the present invention is to provide a vacuum breaker of the above nature which is adapted to be readily inserted within the interior of the riser pipe connecting a flush valve and a sanitary fixture in a water supply system.

A still further object is to provide a vacuum breaking device of the above nature which will not interfere with the flow of water in one direction but will positively prevent reverse flow of water whenever a vacuum occurs back of the vacuum breaking device, this being accomplished by providing a passage leading to the outer atmosphere which serves to destroy any vacuum formed in the fixture.

A still further object is to provide a vacuum breaker of the above nature which will be comparatively simple in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, easy to install, compact, inconspicuous, and very eflicient and durable in use.

With these and other objects in view there have been illustrated on the accompanying drawing two forms in which the invention may be conveniently embodied in practice.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a water supply. system leading to a flush valve connected to control the flow of water to a sanitary plumbing fixture, such as a water closet bowl, and with the improved vacuum breaker shown installed within the vertical pipe connected to said flush valve. I

Fig. 2 is an enlarged transverse cross-sectional view taken through the connecting pipeand vacuum breaker located therein, said view being taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. I, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view 8 taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2, and showing the parts thereof in their normal position when no water is flowing therethrough.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section, similar to Fig. 3,

showing the parts of the device as they appear 10 when the flush valve is being actuated to permit water to flow into the sanitary fixture.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary enlarged longitudinal section showing a modified form of partition member against which the movable valve member closet bowl I I which is connected to the riser pipe ID by means of a vertical pipe l2, through a flush valve I 3, having a control handle I and a hori zontal pipe section l5 joined to the riser ID by a short nipple l6.

As clearly shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4, the flush a valve I3 is connected to the vertical pipe l2 by the usual union nut I! which has threaded engagement with a depending enlarged threaded portion l8 of said flush valve and has an annular inwardly extending clamping flange l9 at its 5 lower end. The vertical pipe. I2 is preferably provided at its upper end with an annular outstanding flange 20, which is adapted to be firmly clamped between the inturned flange l9 and the flange 22 of the casing by means of the union nut l1 screwed on the end of the enlarged valve portion I 8.

The improved vacuum breaker device includes a hollow cylindrical casing 2| adapted to be insert d from above into the vertical pipe l2. The casing 2| is provided a transverse metal partit on, herein shown in the shape of a circular disc ring 23, tightly fitted within the bore 24 of said casing. The disc ring 23 has a central opening 25 therein. the lower surface of said ring formin a valve seat 26 for an inverted cup shaped valve member 21 also preferably formed of metal.

Th casing 2| is provided with a concentric hollow cylindrical vertical boss 28 which is supported is herein 5o by a laterally extending hollow lug 29 integrally connected to the boss 23 at one side of the. casinz 2|. An annular air channel is formed in the outer peripheral surface of the casing 2|, and said channel is connected to the boss 23 by means or a transverse bore 32 formed in the lug 20. The channel 30 is also adapted to be connected to the atmosphere through one or more side holes 33 provided in the pipe [2 adjacent the upper end thereof.

The upper end of the vertical bos 23 is counterbored as at 34 to provide an annular rib 35 around the periphery thereof. A gasket 36 is disposed within the base of the inverted cup shaped valve member 21 which is adapted to engage the annular rib 35 on the boss 23 to seal the bore 3! thereof and prevent the escape of water therethrough when the flush valve is operating. The hollow boss 28 is of such a diameter that the side portion 31 of the inverted cup-shaped valve member 21 loosely telescopes over it and a small space 33 is provided therebetween. The bottom of the casing 21 is provided with a reduced central passage 39 and an outer annular recess 40 which forms a seat for a packing ring 4i to tightly seal said casing 2i in the interior of the pipe l2 at this point.

In order to normally hold the valve member 21 upwardly upon its seat on the partition disc ring 23, provision is made of a coiled spring 42 having its lower end seated in the bottom of the bore 3| of the boss 28. The upper end of the spring 42 encircles a concentric lug 43 depending from the base of the cup shaped valve member 21, whereby the spring is held substantially concentric thereto. The compression of the spring 42 is preferably only sumcient to force the valve member 21 lightly against the partition ring 23, but is not great enough to interfere with the free flow of water downwardly through the opening 25 when the flush valve I3 is actuated. The compression of the spring 42 is also insuflicient to prevent the gasket 36 from seating upon the rib 35 of the boss 28 when the water is flowing down through the vacuum breaker device to the closet bowl I I.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Fig. 5. the partition 45 corresponding to the partition 23 of the previously described form, is made in the shape of an inverted hollow frustum of a cone, and is provided with an annular flange 43 about its upper base. The lower edge 41 of the tubular partition 45 forms an annular seat for the cup-shaped valve member 21. The flange 43 of the partition 45 is disposed in a recess 48 formed in the flange 22 of the casing 2 I and said flange 46 is held in said recess by the clamping action of the lower end of the enlarged threaded portion I! of the flush valve.

Operation In operation, under normal conditions, when the flush valve is closed and no water is flowing therethrough, the inverted cup-shaped valve member 21 will remain in the uppermost position shown in Fig. 3 under the influence of the spring 42. When the flush valve I3 is actuated by manipulation of the handle i 4, water will flow through said flush valve into the vacuum breaker device and will force the valve 21 downwardly into sealing engagement with the annular rib 35, the gasket 38 then preventing water from flowing out through the bores 3| and 32 in the boss 23 and lug 21 respectively, and thence through the channel 30 and out of the opening 33 in the pipe i2.

When water is being drawn from the other 11xtures and outlets in the supply pipe system in sufllcient quantities to cause a vacuum to be developed in or above the flush valve iii, the spring 42 assisted by the pressure of the atmosphere acting uponthe valve member 21 will press it against its seat 26 on the partition ring 23. In case a vacuum should be formed beneath the partition ring 23 and the cup-shaped valve 21 seated upon it, air will flow into the valve casing 2| through the opening 33 in the pipe i2, and will immediately destroy such vacuum, and thereby prevent any possibility of back siphonage from the closet bowl.

One advantage of the present invention is that it may be readily inserted in existing installations without expensive changes.

A further advantage is that the vacuum breaker device will be completely concealed within the pipe connecting the flush valve and the water closet bowl, thereby avoiding unsightly protuberances on said pipe as in prior vacuum breaking devices.

While there have been disclosed in this specification two forms in which the invention may be embodied, it is to be understood that these forms are shown for the purpose of illustration only, and that the invention is not to be limited to the specific disclosures, but may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit. In short, the invention includes all the modifications and embodiments coming within the scope of the following claims.

Having thus fully described the invention, what is claimed as new, and for which it is desired to secure Letters Patent, is:

1. In a vacuum breaker for a liquid system, a liquid supply member having a cylindrical threaded end portion, a union nut adapted to be screwed upon said end portion and having an intumed clamping flange, a cylindrical check valve casing adapted-to be inserted into a pipe having an annular flanged end, said casing having an annular flange adapted to be clamped by said union nut between said threaded end portion and the flange on the end of said pipe, said casing having a transverse partition ring forming an upper valve seat, a hollow boss in said casing connected to the atmosphere and forming a lower valve seat, a movable valve member interposed between said boss and said partition ring and a spring to normally hold said valve member up against said partition ring.

2. In a vacuum breaker for a liquid system, a liquid supply member having a cylindrical threaded end portion, a union nut adapted to be screwed upon said end portion and having an intumed clamping flange, a cylindrical valve casing adapted to be inserted into the outwardly flanged end of a pipe, said casing having an annular flange adapted to be clamped by said union nut between said threaded end portion and the flange on the end of said pipe, said casing having a transverse partition ring forming an upper valve seat, a hollow boss in said casing forming a lower valve seat, a movable valve member interposed between said boss and said partition ring, a spring to normally hold said valve member against said partition ring, and means for connecting said boss with the outside atmosphere to break the vacuum in said pipe.

3. In a vacuum breaker for a liquid supply system, a cylindrical casing adapted to be inserted tightly within a supply pipe having an aperture, said casing having an annular channel in its peripheral surface embracing the aperture in the pipe, said casing having a hollow interior boss connected to said channel, a transverse partition ring disposed in said casing and vertically spaced from said boss, and a movable spring pressed valve member normally in engagement with said partition ring to close the opening therein.

4. In a vacuum breaker for a liquid system, a liquid supply member having a cylindrical threaded end portion, a union nut adapted to be screwed upon said end portion and having an inturned clamping flange, a cylindrical valve casing adapted to be inserted into the outwardly flanged end of a pipe, said casing having an annular flange adapted to be clamped by said union nut between said threaded end portion and the flange on the end of said pipe, said casing having a transverse partition ring forming an upper valve seat, a hollow boss in said casing forming a lower valve seat, a movable valve member interposed between said boss and said partition ring,

a spring to normally hold said valve member against said partition ring, and means for connecting said boss with the outside atmosphere to break the vacuum in said pipe, said casing having an exterior annular groove connected by a transverse air passage with said boss, and said pipe having an air opening in alinement with said groove.

5. In a vacuum breaker for a liquid supply system, a cylindrical casing adapted to be inserted tightly within a supply pipe having an aperture, said casing having a hollow interior boss, means for connecting the interior of said boss with said aperture to break the vacuum in said supply pipe, a transverse partition ring in said casing upwardly spaced from said boss, and a movable spring-pressed valve member normally engaging said partition ring to close the opening therein. 

